1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to polishing of electo-optical crystals and more specifically to chemical polishing of mercury cadmium tellurium and cadmium tellurium electro-optical crystals to a thickness of about 1 or about 2 microns across an area of several square millimeters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, electro-optical crystals are subject to a three step finishing process. The first step is a rough optical polish, the second step is a finishing polish to smooth the rough spots left by the first polishing step. Finally, the electro-optical crystals are demounted and subject to a dip etching to reduce the size of the electro-optical crystal to the desired thickness.